


Ya'aburnee

by Sol1t41r3



Category: Homestuck
Genre: (how many mentioned characters are we going to have omf probably everyone), (rip becquerel may he rest in peace), F/F, M/M, Warning: hurts the eyes, narration
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-15
Updated: 2017-11-19
Packaged: 2019-01-17 15:49:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 14
Words: 14,304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12369000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sol1t41r3/pseuds/Sol1t41r3
Summary: - A declaration of one’s hope that they’ll die before another person because of how difficult it would be to live without them.~“You bury me.” Probably the last words Dave Strider ever said.





	1. Reliving

**Author's Note:**

> just trying to take a stab at a concept.

“we first met during graduation. karkat vantas was the fucking smartest person in the world and he gave that tear-jerking, dramatic speech about graduation. i wasn’t really listening but i was just staring at him, to be honest. i was a bad boy like that. i still am.

 

anyways, he seemed cute. that was the first time i actually got a few-minute view of him. aside from the quick glances i gave him during the years of college. he was a part of those smartass groups where they’re all study. what’s fun about that?

 

funnily enough, his major was ‘creative writing’ or whatever, which technically didn’t require any studying at all. just essays and theses and other writing shit. i wouldn’t know. i didn’t take it. what kind of person do you take me for?

 

i didn't think that he really knew me or even knew that i existed. but for some reason, he did. weird shit. it was through terezi pyrope, campus gal. part of that weird ‘scourge sisters’ cult thing. i don’t know what she did with  vriska  but that stays with them.

 

apparently, he went to one of my sessions? well, not sessions. that makes it sound like i’m crazy or something. i still got a workin’ noggin. let’s call it ‘gigs’ that what we used to call them way back when. i don’t think dj’s even exist in your generation. don’t fuckin’ judge me. i can’t even get out of the house anymore.

 

but yeah, he went to one of my gigs and he knew me because of that. probably called me ‘that cool dj dude’ or ‘d-strides’. goddamn, that stage name is so fucking old. no one calls me that anymore. hah. ok, stop making myself feel so old. got it.

 

don’t give me that, you lil’ shit. do you want me to continue or not?

 

whatever. terezi totally set us up, if i remember correctly. she and  vriska  threw a rad party at the it was totally under the that guy was nasty such such a killjoy. good thing, he’s dead now. anyways, they fuckin’ bribed the guards with money and when all the other people left, that’s when the party started. they hired a different dj, i was pretty disgraced. me? at a party? not being a dj? what kind of bullshit is that?

 

little did all of us know that it was a plot to set me and karkat  up. but that’s only what we assumed anyway,  vriska  and terezi never told us what their shitty plan was, but it worked anyway.

 

a little introductions, a little booze and a little bit of attraction. we were like fucking magnets. it was fan-fucking-tastic. oh, is that too gross? lol. yeah, whatever, i literally said ‘lol’. stop signing at me, it’s fucking distracting.

 

the next morning, it was all fucked. me and karkat were totes awkward, i’m pretty sure we had sex? which he told me was not safe at all, but i didn’t really care. what i cared about was how i managed to get laid by the smartest gay dude i’ve ever know? i didn’t even know he was gay. i didn’t even know i was gay.

 

it was pretty weird, he freaked out. hated on all of us for a while before talking again. we started talking and being normal friends- no, not fuckbuddies. where did you even get that? -he found out that finding a job when your major is creative writing isn’t that easy. especially when your dream is to write a hundred-thousand books of twilight rip-offs.

 

sure, whatever you say, kiddo. i’ll still call them twilight rip-offs. it could be worse but i love him that much.

 

i.. why would you even sign that? no, it wasn’t about us. the books weren’t about us. god fucking forbid, that trash was about us.

 

okay, no more questions, kiddo. hah, seeing you sign angrily is fuckin’ hilarious. ow! god- don’t kick me, what the hell?

 

hey, knock it off, you little shit. i’m fragile. maybe i’ll continue tomorrow. okay, okay. fine, i’ll totally continue tomorrow."


	2. Darned Damsels

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so, you can imagine that most of the chapters are gonna be more or less, less than 1000 words. i dont know if that makes sense but eh. also, im gonna have to get into dave mode again wheeeeeeeeeeee

my god, can’t you wait until fuckin’ noon? don’t sass me, young man. i can still get you grounded. fine, just let me stay in bed for the love of all that is holy.

 

where did i leave off? hmm. okay, i kinda get what the fuck youre trying to say. he was without a permanent job for maybe a year, always switchin’ because he never liked them. to be honest, jobs back in the day were shit and they’re still shit.

 

we accidentally met again in the grocery store, i can’t really remember but i’m pretty sure he was trying to shoplift which was sad because he was the smartest guy back in college and he had all this fame and shit but he ended up shoplifting anyway. but since im a gentleman, i helped him out and bought all the shit he needed. although he was like pissed about it. i didn’t give a single fuck.

 

there was a period of time where we just kept to our own devices. life was like its normal shitty self. then john egbert, an old best friend, reappeared again after leaving for another state. we hung out for a while until he left again for god-knows-what reason i can’t remember. during that hanging out of me and rose lalonde, my sister. suddenly fucking told me she had a girlfriend. and i never knew about this shit, my initial reaction honestly was like ‘youre fucking gay?’. she laughed. good fuckin’ times.

 

anyways, rose’s gf, kanaya, was actually cousins with karkat. kind of a shocker but honestly i don’t know what to expect anymore. i’ve fucking seen everything. kanaya ‘introduced’ me to karkat when we met up, i was with rose that time, i think. now, i actually told rose about karkat because she’s like my fuckin’ sis and therapist. plus she forces shit out of my brain. it was annoying but i miss her for it. anways, so during that whole scene, she was just tryin’ hold in her laughter. and kanaya was so fucking clueless. karkat was red and i’m pretty sure i was forcing a pokerface. hah, i don’t fucking remember.

 

anyways, it was supposed to be a double date. rosemary thought it was a good fucking idea. karkat was apparently openly gay after college. which i didn’t know. i didn’t what fucking gender i was. there was like a shit ton before. i’m so fucking glad you didn’t reach that.

 

what? that shit still exists? jesus fucking christ, sjws.

 

it means social justice warriors. stay away from them.

 

how would you know if theyre an sjw? i don’t know, how the fuck would you locate a hipster?

 

i don’t care what little johnny told you, starbucks coffee does not attract hipsters. i am not a hipster. hey, these shades are a thousand years old. don’t trash them, it’s disrespectful to your grand-uncle john. he got these for me fresh from ben stillers holy face. don’t ever mention the ampora family in my face again or i will ground you, young man.

 

okay, okay, fine. i’ll get back to the story. anywho, where the fuck was i?

 

karkat openly gay after college.... oh yeah, so we all four of us hung out for a day and at the end of the day, karkat approached me and asked for my number and i was just like ‘whaaaaaaaaaaaaaat’ and he just glared at me, ah the old vantas glare. gotta love it.

 

i gave him my digits. he called me when i got home, asked about what movies i watched. funny thing is, i don’t watch movies much, i grew up on comics and pizzaz like that. i even had my own, hella bro and sweet jeff.

 

oh fuck, was it the other way around? sorry, shit. hella jeff and sweet bro. how could i fucking forget. that comic was my tie to the fuckin’ earth. kept me alive. oh yeah, you bet it’s still fucking around on the internet. that shit is my legacy, it’s immortal and it’s a fucking masterpiece. let no one tell you otherwise, kids today can’t appreciate old art.

 

anyway, i didn’t watch movies, was it? ok, yeah. so he was shocked and immediately told me that he had to come over and make me watch his favorite and i honestly didn’t know what the fuck was happening so i agreed. turns out, his favorite movie is hitch.

 

i thought to myself, ‘shit this guys a romantic, what a fucking softie' because he had all this professional air to him back in college so it was a huge fucking turn-off when i found out he loved romcoms. i couldn’t believe it, i couldn’t.

 

so i agreed, he went to my apartment, and we watched romcoms the whole fucking day. i don’t even know how it happened. that there would be one of the most mysterious things in my life, how i didn’t sleep during all the romcoms.

 

well.. maybe i know it, but i just forgot...


	3. Interlude 1: first ever movie night with karkat lol

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi yes let me update everyday. i probably wont stay true to this. especially with school going on. im gonna die

It’s a cold wintery night when Karkat Vantas comes over at your house. Goddamnit, you regret this already. What the fuck, Dave. What the fuck is wrong with you. Don’t let your boner get the best of you goddamnit.

 

Oh shit, that’s the doorbell. You’re fucked.

 

You walk a few paces to your door, your apartment is pretty small so it’s not that far. Whatever, keep it cool, Dave.

 

You wonder if you should be flirty and shit. He’s like gay, right? Shit, you’re also gay. And you both fucked back in college. And Rose and Kanaya are practically shipping you both. They made you go on a quote-unquote double date. This is fucking madness, what the fuck.

 

A few minutes have actually passed before you opened the door. Karkat was like knocking like crazy by then. That little shit can knock.

 

“’Sup.” You greet him.

 

“Don’t fucking ‘sup’ me, Strider. I’m pretty sure you were standing right there since I rang your fucking doorbell. Look at how small this place is!” Karkat waves his hands all around the fucking place like it’s the last time he’s gonna do it.

 

You cross your arms, “Well, you’re just gonna go out there, aren’t you?” He waves you off then opens his sling bag to show you his 1) phone, 2) a USB labeled ‘NO TOUCHY, FUCKY’ in his small blocky handwriting, 3) a roll of tissue paper, 4) a gray notebook and 5) and pencil case.

 

“Let’s watch movies, asshole.”

 

Both of you go over to the sad, hot pink colored sofa bed that Jade gave you when you moved. It doesn’t get used much though, you normally just lay on your mattress.

 

You get your laptop from your room and Karkat plugs in the USB.

 

“Nice name, by the way.”

 

He looks at you like you’re crazy, “What? Karkat?”

 

“Uh no, I meant the USB, dude.” Fucking awkward.

 

“Oh, thanks, I guess. I just have a shitty fucking roommate who messes with my shit. I’m probably gonna have to change the label though, it’s losing its effect.”

 

“Still cool though.” Karkat shrugs at that and concentrates on finding a movie. He opens a folder and a hundred movies pop up, you wonder how all of those can fit in such a small USB.

 

“That is a shit ton of movies you got there. And a really good USB.”

 

“My dad bought it for me, had it since college started. If you were a frequent library student, you’d probably see me there. Watching a movie.” He replies, not looking at you.

 

“Goddamn, Karkat Vantas isn’t all study, is he?”

 

“Please don’t talk about me in third person. And what else would you fucking think? Not everybody can only concentrate on school all the time, that would make you fucking go nuts..

 

“Ok. I just assumed, you know. ‘Cause like, you seemed really serious about studying.” You hold up your hands in surrender. He doesn’t reply to that.

 

After a while, he sighs. “I can’t fucking find it.”

 

“Find what?”

 

“Hitch.”

 

“Uh dude, just use the search bar. Give it to me.” You take the laptop from him and punch in ‘hitch’ into the search bar. Of course, it pops up. “Bro, you must have like.. Bad eyesight.”

 

“I fucking do. I’m wearing contact lens, you turd.” At the same moment you try to look at his eyes, he looks at you too.

 

For a moment, it’s awkward, but you try focus on his eyes, you can’t see them much in the dim light and through your shades. Karkat purses his lips, looking like he’s ready to say something.

 

“What?” You whisper for some reason. Fucking hell, this is so awkward. You think you’re turning red, it feels really hot. Like the room just gained a few more degrees. And that’s saying something because it should be really cold.

 

He looks away. You didn’t notice that you were close to each other. Jesus, you two really have some problems.

 

“Nothing.” Karkat mutters. He takes the laptop away from you and plays the movie.

 

During the course of it, you don’t really pay attention. This lovey-dovey stuff wears you out, like it’s so obviously acted out. It doesn’t look remotely fucking romantic.

 

But on the other hand, Karkat is so fucking invested in this. It’s so intriguing that it almost makes you want to watch the movie and find out what’s so interesting and what he finds so great about it. Karkat Vantas is a strange human being and you think you like him for it.

 

Fuck, you’re so in the deep end, Dave.

 

You just spent almost two hours staring at Karkat Vantas.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> also to all the magnus chase and the gods of asgard fans (idk if there are that are reading this): shout out to you (nonexistant but its possibly that some may read this) guys!! fierrochase is.... lets just say its a third of what forms my heart. 1/3 davekat, 1/3 percabeth, 1/3 fierrochase is my heart does that make sense? is this still going on? shit im typing this arent i aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa


	4. A Little Slip

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> short but (the) next (few) chaps (are) gon be a bit of a buster i promise (whatever promises are, i mean- honestly just dont take this for granted. i suck at busters [whatever busters are i just came up with it because it sounded kinda cool anyway this is going on for way too long, get to the barely 500 worded chapter!!!])

oh shit. did i seriously space out? chill, i'm not fucking dead. haha, fuck sorry, geromy told me that that was getting worse. kill me. no wait don’t actually kill me, i’m not done telling my shitty story yet.

 

where the fuck was i?

 

movie night? oh yeah, how could i forget? that shit was so gay it’s fuckin’ historic.. (which movie night was it?)

 

okay, got it. the first one. after the movie. i asked karkat if he wanted to eat dinner together but i’m pretty sure he rejected me. told me that he had a night shift to get to. he had like a ton of jobs during that time, just to support him.

 

i honestly don’t know how he could do that. i could barely manage two fucking jobs, much less a shit ton. but i guess he did well under pressure. that was like his whole life.

 

so, after that movie night. i was the one who pestered him everyday, it’s like he kind of slipped away from time to time. i kinda felt bad for him because everyone says that you’d have a good life after school if you had great grades but that shit don’t apply to everyone. you remember that, lil’ bud. one of the strider wisdoms i have to pass down.

 

also, all cats are gray in the dark. but let’s not mind that, shall we?

 

dear fucking christ, i sound like rose. everything i say reminds me of them.

 

i really miss them, even if i didn’t show it much when they were still here. it’s such a sad fucking thing, y’know.. life.

 

it fucks everything up slowly in the works while you’re trying to enjoy the years you have. that’s what it always does.

 

what?

 

i sound bitter? well, i’ll be damned if i don’t. it fuckin’ took everything from me. well, except you.. and all my other... descendants? does that even sound correct? technically, we aren’t your biological-

 

okay, so you like to think of it that way, fine. fine for me. just don’t make me feel so old. i fucking hate that shit. i’m pretty sure i still have my shitty unbreakable katana somewhere and i won’t hesitate to smack your ass with that.

 

don’t call me old, ffs.

 

yes, i just said ‘ffs’! look, don’t act so surprised. i used to say acronyms out loud all the time. fine, abbreviations. wh- but you just signed abbreviations. did i read that wrong?

 

i didn’t read it wrong, geromy told me that abbreviate was the hands moving in from the side and closing.

 

okay, so what the fuck are you signing?.... nevermind then.

 

...

 

breakfast? nah, i don’t feel that hungry. i know i should eat, don’t sass me, young man. okay, what about continuing the story? would you let me pass breakfast for a story?

 

okay. uh, we were, uh.. yeah, yeah, the days after movie night.

 

it was winter when it was movie night, if i recall correctly. hm, yeah. late november? i’m not really sure when that happened. but i’m pretty sure a few days after that, it was... jade and jake’s birthdays? uh.. fuck, could you do me a favor and check that old ass calendar in the kitchen. at least, i think it was in the kitchen..

 

in the living room? then get it, ya lil’ shit.


	5. Calendar: Part One

there you fuckin’ are, i could haul ass faster than you. hey, shut up. i’m not confined to the bed, i can still walk. i just like the bed. the bed is nice. it’s nicer than you, you little shit. 

oh fine, you can sit here. squeeze in, lil’ dude. okay, so.. i have to tell you something about this calendar. and the mere existence of this thing is fucking ironic. 

if you, uh, look here. you can faintly see the sbahj art. because this shit was given to me by a fan. they made it. for me. and of course, i wanted to make this fuckin’ thing known to the world. so back in the day, i had this thing called a blog. which i’m pretty sure ya’ll don’t have anymore. 

wait, you still do? fuck. i thought i was gonna sound cool. anyways, whatever. i posted this calendar on the blog and every sbahj fan went fucking nuts. and that’s when i created all this mad merch. just because of a fucking calendar. 

i ‘hired’ rose to make plushies of that shitty comic. it was a fucking hit, made big money, big time. that happened way before movie night. that’s why this thing is like fucking ancient. i’m pretty sure it’s about to fall apart. 

so, back to after movie night. i wrote jade and jake’s birthdays on here when it happened. then i wrote mine and dirk's, then rose and roxy’s. then everyone else’s birthdays happened. 

but the thing was, i never used this thing for time or events. of course because it’s so fucking outdated. but i still kept it because it was hashtag ironic. 

don’t sign it. don’t. i’ll summon all my elder power to kick you off this bed. and i won’t give you money for your birthday, christmas and new years. 

good. 

so. back to the calendar. let’s recount some of the shit that happened during the karkat and me journey. 

jade and jake’s birthday. he went, turns out he was a close friend of jade’s. albeit mostly hated by her, still considered a friend. we didn’t have a big party but i think that year, jade's dog died. becquerel. poor old bec, shoulda taken that devilbeast out behind the woodshed and blow it’s head off while he wasn’t suffering from whatever that shitty dog disease was. 

kid, you didn’t get to meet becquerel. that dog absolutely hated me. but i guess dogs are still great. 

please don’t remind me about mayor. please don’t. that’s something i don’t want to revisit yet. i’ll tell you about him when it’s his time. 

where was i? oh yeah, dog death. we didn’t have a big party for jade and jake but a big party for becquerel. i swear jade invited all of the neighbors who had dogs. it was fucking terrifying. 

no, i don’t have a phobia of dogs. i literally owned one years ago, buddy. 

so here, it was probably the worst idea jade has ever had, and jade's a smart gal. aces the fuck out of all that science-y shit. 

there was shit everywhere, the grass smelled of piss- okay, yeah. im exaggerating so what? it makes the story more exciting, i can’t just say. ‘there was a moderate amount of poop everywhere and there was a few puddles of urine on the ground.’. look, it’s better to embellish, kid. 

embellish means, uh. what? you want an apple? 

well sure go ahead. (it’s gonna make you look more of an asshole anyway.. ding) 

nothin’. i didn’t say nothin’. 

... 

cool, that was fast. anyways, the dog party. after that, jade went right back to sleep. 

uh, y’know. because she’s narcoleptic. it means that she just falls asleep randomly at random times and random places. it was kinda annoying when i first met her, back in high school? but i guess you get used to people sleeping on you. 

no, she didn’t literally sleep on me. well. that’s how i remember it. but just imagine when you’re in the middle of a story and the person who’s ‘listening’ to you, how would you feel? what if while you were signing, i just nodded off like a fucking champ? 

‘course, i wouldn’t do that to you. 

anyways, during the dog party. karkat just stayed near me because i was probably the only person he was ‘close’ to. john was just a goofball even if he was like twenty-one or twenty-two or some shit. and rose is just plain mean. 

it turns out that karkat was afraid of dogs since one bit him when he was just a little kid. so it freaked him the fuck out when rabid dog rumpus party started. i’ve literally seen no one else in my entire life so scared of a fucking chihuahua. 

i admit like a sinful sinner, he was pretty cute and just clung onto me all the time so we bailed until the dogs left. we stayed at... hm.. weird. can’t remember where we went. probably never gonna remember either. 

that’s the end of that one.


	6. Melancholy's A Sweet Bitch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this, kids. is what you call filler and vent. jade is hard to write. wink wink.

next was my birthday. here, in that ironic, cool, red writing. huh, karkat wrote on it too. oh, shit that’s too much. don’t look at it. ok, i’ll just cover it.

 

my birthday was a bit more boring than the dog party but that’s fine. it’s better to be boring than to have a shit ton of devilbeasts thrashing your backyard. remember, it’s better to be safe than to fuck up everything else.

 

hashtag wise words of wisdom of dave strider.

 

hashtag i don’t care about you complaining about the hashtag.

 

hashtag rebel.

 

hashtag let’s stop the fucking hashtags and get back to the story.

 

wasn’t talkin’ to you, kid. was talkin’ to myself. yes, i really do talk to myself even before. no, it’s not contagious, why would you even sign that, you can’t talk. how can you talk to yourself?

 

okay, crossed a line there. sorry, bud. i’m kinda used to talking to people who can hold their own in a verbal battle.

 

m’sorry for your non-verbal self.

 

okay, back to the story. my birthday, right? yay, i fucking remembered something. so my birthday.

 

the snow that year was so fucking hard. but to be honest, i’ve had so many birthdays, it’s too much to count. honestly. but i’ll try to focus.

 

karkat came over, it actually happened right here. in this fucking apartment. you know, i always had a reason to why i stayed here since.. well since.. hah. this place is fucking historic.. god, i love it. but it kinda hurts to see all the walls and everything in here in general.

 

melancholy’s a sweet bitch.

 

oh i’m fucking fine, buddy. it’s all cool. it’s all cool..

 

sorry, kiddo. freaked a bit.

 

i fucking hate melancholy. it’s a word karkat taught me, it’s such a shitty feeling. worse than grief, worse than depression. for me at least. i guess.

 

you don’t know why melancholy’s there but it eats you inside the fuck out. it’s a fucking shitshow.

 

but take my advice, kid. go back to where you fuckin’ grew up and matured. it helps you. a lot. it’s gonna hurt but no pain, no gain. it’s such a cliché saying, i know. i hate being sappy.

 

i got off-track, didn’t i? christ.

 

how about this? let’s continue this later. i’ll do for breakfast right now. just need to get my mind over some things.

 

nope, no. i can still walk, you shit. i’m dying anyway, let me walk without the fucking cane for fuck’s sake. you know it hurts my fuckin’ pride. if karkat were here, he’d be laughing his wheezy ass off and forcing me to use the walker.

 

it’s torture.

 

utter torture. look here, bud. if you get the chance of a walker or a cane. get neither.

 

it’s better to walk til’ you die. that is.. unless you have like arthritis and shit. that’s gonna hurt. lucky me, i’m spry and fuckin’ active even at this fucking age. nope, i’m not lying.

 

ok, let’s get some fuckin’ cereal and eat like kings. we can add apples and all that fruit geromy sent me. it’s gonna be rad. and we’re gonna eat like fuckin’ kings up in this bitch.

 

what’s that? fine, you can cut the apples. no, you can’t use my shitty unbreakable katana. use a fucking knife, don’t be a badass. i’m too old for the caretaking lectures geromy gives me. i fucking raised that kid.

 

you want to know about your parents too? well fuck. tough luck, kiddo. i’m only telling you about me and karkat. what geromy and your mom tell you is what they only want to tell you. but i gotta say, i did walk in on some pretty fucked up shit.

 

aside from that. aren’t i’m a cool, healthy gdad? let’s get some fucking breakfast. i’m pumped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks everyone who commented, hah. i thought this would be pretty boring.


	7. Interlude 2: dog party!!! :D

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please excuse my small knowledge about snow. you can't really grasp the concept of it if you've never experienced it :')
> 
> also, i'm not sure if i write jade in a jade-ish way but honestly, i haven't read any story that has the point of view of jade (maybe thats just because all i read are davekat stories. i should probably read more than davekat. god)

You are Jade Harley, and today’s your twenty-third birthday! There, you just marked it on your calendar. Gosh, you’ve been thinking about this all day yesterday. Oh, did you mention that it was also your cousin, Jake’s twenty-ninth birthday? Hmm, you don’t think you did. But you mentioned it now!

 

You get out of bed, oh and look, you’re wearing your bright green dog pajamas! How adorable. You pluck your glasses from your bedside and look around your room, a mess of neon-colored pillows and stuffed animals. Maybe you never really grew out of your kid phase, but that’s alright! Not everyone does and sometimes that’s good!

 

It’s snowing outside, luckily you have your windows closed. But it doesn’t look too bad! Maybe you can still get on with your planned plans.. What were those plans again? Oh, right, the dog party!

 

Gosh, aren’t you excited for that? You bet it’s gonna be fun, but maybe you should invite your neighbors with the huskies and dogs fit for snow. (Heh, funnily enough, almost all dogs in the neighborhood are huskies. Though there’s that one furry Chihuahua you remember. He’s so cute!) You quickly make all your calls, asking if they can come to the party with the dogs.

 

After all that business-y stuff, you go out of your room and downstairs. Jake was already up and in the kitchen. He stayed here for a bit since he’s got some stuff to do and finish! You don’t know what these things are, actually. But that’s okay, you’d let any of your family stay around! It doesn’t hurt to share a house.

 

“Lovely morning to you, Jade!” Jake grins, tossing a pancake with one arm. His small mustache is already starting to grow out. You know he’s always dreamed of having one. You’ll be sure to point that out later!

 

“Good morning, Jake. Nice pancakes!” You wave your hand as you’re going over to the dining table.

 

“Only the best for the spiffy birthday girl. Heh, nice ‘jammies.” There’s two plates laid out on the table, there’s a card on one of them. Most probably for you! Jake’s voice pipes up again, “Oh, hold on, I think I’ve got the butter and maple syrup still here somewhere. Crikey, where’d I put that?”

 

Before you read the card, you look up and see smoke rising up from the pan. “Uh, Jake. The pancake.”

 

“Blunderin’ shucks busters!” Your cousin turns off the stove and fans away the smoke with his trusty spatula. He lifts up the pancake, it’s burnt but burnt in a good way.

 

He looks at you and you shrug, smiling.

 

Both of you eat the pancakes he cooked. While eating, he points out the card that you haven’t read yet. You do wonder what’s in that!

 

“I wrote in all the greetings that Jane, Roxy and Dirk said. They can’t come today because of some hullabaloo, but I think they’re all in cahoots with each other.” Jake leans in to whisper that last part and you try to resist a smile, acting all secretive.

 

“You think?” You raise a hand to your mouth, mocking a gasp.

 

“I’m pretty darned sure!” Jake’s leans back on his chair, chuckling.

 

You decide to read the card later. You also remember to point out Jake’s mustache, he smiles at that and thanks you.

 

You go up to your room after breakfast, wondering what you should plant after winter blows over. Your plants out there are probably all withered and frozen now. Poor plants.. Oh well, there’ll always be room for more, new healthy plants!

 

The bedroom, which you left as is, is still the way it is. Then you promptly fall asleep on your bed.

 

You wake up and you’re pretty sure that it’s late afternoon. The snow seems to have stopped. And hmm..

 

Oh right, your party!

 

You quickly change clothes and look outside onto your backyard. As expected, your friends are all gathered outside and readying all the things. They’re not doing a great job at hiding it but you’re still thankful for them being in your life!

 

Knocking erupts on your door and you walk over to open it. It’s John!

 

“Hey Jade! Whoa!” You hug him immediately, giggling.

 

“You’re back!” John pats your back and you pull back.

 

John smiles, chuckling, “I couldn’t miss my sister’s birthday, could I?”

 

“Nope, you couldn’t!” You punch his shoulder playfully. “How’s work as a comedian been working out? We haven’t talked for a while!”

 

“It’s been great actually. I still gotta have some side jobs though but it’s fine. But you know what, let’s not talk about that now. It’s your day! Along with Jake’s.” John steps back from the doorway, “Your party is waiting, Madame.” He offers you his arm, smiling.

 

“Why thank you, Sir Egbert!” You reply and hook your arm through his. Both of you walk through the hallway in quite a silly manner! You let out a few giggles.

 

Downstairs is completely dark, you can only assume that there’s a surprise. It’s kinda great that they did all this for you and Jake. Well, you specifically.

 

The lights flicker on and all the hidden people shout, “Happy Birthday, Jade!”

 

“Thanks, everyone!” You shout back, mostly because you don’t think they’ll hear you and mostly because you just want to shout back to emphasize the point that you’re really thankful.

 

Everyone cheers, you can see familiar faces in the crowd. Some are ones you’ve known for a long time, some only for a short time.

 

Nonetheless, everyone here is your friend and family. That’s what matters!

 

All of you move outside. It didn’t feel too cold but most of the guests were wearing parkas anyway. Maybe it’s just you.

 

A familiar face you haven’t seen for a long time approaches you after a while.

 

“Hey, Harley. Nice party, it’s cold as fuck though.” Karkat Vantas comments, making the gesture of rubbing his arms as if the cold is leaking into his parka.

 

“You were always vulnerable to snow, Karkat. Don’t you worry, you can still go inside.” You pat his head, he’s still shorter than you! How cute.

 

He swats your hand away, “Fuck off.”

 

“Still grumpy. Wasn’t valedictorian enough for you?” You pout, crossing your arms.

 

“Of course, it fucking was. Still, you put up a pretty good fight for the science part of things. But that was practically a long time ago now, Harley. Are _you_ still salty about it?”

 

“Me? Not at all, I’m glad that you got valedictorian though.”

 

“Well, thanks, I guess. There’s no need to congratulate me about it. Jesus Christ. Happy Birthday, Jade.” Karkat offers you a hand, you shake it and laugh.

 

“Go get some food, Mr. Grumps!” Karkat looks at you for a bit, looking like he wants to say something but doesn’t. He waves you off and leaves.

 

“Quite a party, Jade.” Rose makes an appearance, she’s wearing a coat with a purple scarf.

 

“Hi, Rose! I honestly love your scarf, how are you and Kanaya?” You pull her into a hug and she hugs back.

 

“Why, thank you, Jade. I knitted it myself. Kanaya and I are doing great. She couldn’t come today because of work but she told me to give you this.” Rose replies then holds up a paper bag.

 

You take it, “Oh wow! You didn’t have to get me something.. I’ll open this later, okay?” Rose shrugs and smiles slyly before walking away.

 

You go around and talk to more people. Gosh, it’s been a long time since you’ve been in a gathering this big. You see Jake tending to the food, Rose and John talking. And.. Dave and Karkat talking to each other off to the side?

 

What could that be about? What an interesting development!

 

“Hey, guys!” You greet them. Their conversation didn’t seem too intense.

 

“’Sup, Jade. Sick party, the hot choco is great.” Dave offers you his fist, you fist-bump him and chuckle.

 

“Thanks, but I’m pretty sure Jake made it.” You look to Karkat, who looks slightly irritated. Psh, he always looks like that.

 

“What’s been going with you two?” You pry. Dave subtly glances at Karkat and looks back to you. You’ve known Dave enough to pick up on his actions, of course!

 

Dave shrugs, “He’s just complaining about how cold it is. I dunno, it doesn’t feel too cold. Dude, you should really get some hot choco. I bet it’ll help you with your ice, cold heart.”

 

“Oh, go to hell. You bastard. I’ll get some later. There’s just a lot of people right there right now.” Karkat snaps.

 

“Hot choco doesn’t last forever. That shit’s gonna run out, y’know.” Dave looks at you like _what the fuck am i going to do with him?_ You hold in a laugh.

 

“I could get a mug for you, Karkat. Me, the birthday girl.” You put a hand on your hip.

 

“Ugh, fine!” Karkat stomps off, spraying snow everywhere in his wake.

 

Dave shakes his hand, “That dude’s like. The most stubborn cute asshole I’ve ever met.” You look at him.

 

“Cute?” You grin. Dave realizes this and slightly turns red. Oh my god, he totally has a crush.

 

“Freudian slip. I mean like, I was just looking at a girl in the crowd. I just thought, ‘damn, theyre cute.’. I didn’t mean Karkat was cute. Fuck it, he ain’t cute at all.” Dave coughs a few times into his sleeve.

 

“Right. So, he’s not cute?” You poke his shoulder.

 

“Nope.” Dave shrugs.

 

Then suddenly a shriek comes from the center of the yard. “Fucking god!” Karkat comes running back to both of you, in his trail was a familiar, furry, little Chihuahua.

 

“Aw, Conner! Hi, buddy!” You pick up the small dog and turn to Karkat.

 

Dave’s just bent over, laughing while Karkat’s out of breath.

 

“Oh my fucking god! Hahah! Dude, you just got- fucking- scared by a Chihuahua!” Dave chokes out.

 

“I’m going to slap that mug right into your face, you fuckface!” Karkat snarls, his face red with embarrassment.

 

“Are you scared of dogs, or something, Karkat?” You smirk, softly petting Conner who’s snuggled up in your arms.

 

“It was a mistake to come here.” Karkat sits down on the grass. “I’m fucking dead. Kill me.”

 

“Why don't you like dogs?" You ask, "I think I have bad news for you, Karkat because there'll be a lot more dogs here later on..."

 

“What?!” Karkat shouts. You giggle a bit then walk over to Conner’s owner and give him back.

 

After that, all the people you called this morning arrive with their dogs. Most were the huskies.

 

Gosh, seeing all these guys. It makes you think of Becquerel... You miss him so much. But he’s in a better place now, you would like to believe that. You would love to believe that.

 

He’d be happy playing in the snow right now and you’d bring him inside and he’d curl up beside you under a blanket.

 

You smile to yourself and push your thoughts aside. Today, you can only celebrate Becquerel’s life. You think that’s the whole point of today.

 

You see Dave and Karkat slip away from the party after all the dogs arrived. You wonder where they’ll go. They’re really sweet with each other, even as aggressive as Karkat is. You think they’d go together really well.

 

The party lasts until the snow starts to fall again and the air gets colder. You send off all the guests, thanking them for attending in general and for the few presents they gave you.

 

Jake approaches you and asks if today was great for you. Today is probably the greatest day you’ve ever had since Becquerel. You only smile and hug him. Today is probably the greatest day you’ve ever had.

 

Then you fall asleep again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> good morning / noon / evening to all you lovely people who happen to be reading this!


	8. Calender: Part Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi im back yes. sorry a lot of shit happened. like stranger things s2 came out!!!! (itotallydidnotbingewatchlikeahundredtimes) shit el n mike are cute. anyways, why am i talking about that on a homestuck fic?! im betraying davekat rn.
> 
> anyways, respect for anyone who still reads this. im trying to figure out a coherent n cohesive plot and timeline for everything, i was never really good at planning ahead.. hah.

you can’t tell me that that breakfast wasn’t sick. honestly, kid. that’s been the best breakfast i’ve had in a while.

 

yeah, yeah. i’ll continue the story. my birthday, right?

 

okay. so, the quote-unquote party happened here. my birthday doesn’t need to be that special. that was my.. twenty-third? or twenty-fourth. kid, i ain’t sure. i don’t know everything.

 

karkat came over, but it was after the party. i sorta recalled that when we were eating bfast. yes, i do have thoughts. i don’t think about sleeping everyday but that would be cool.

 

he intentionally missed the party, he wasn’t a people guy. luckily, i still had some leftover cake and gave him some. i think that’s what happened. then we went out.

 

well, i kind of asked him out. i didn’t literally say that but i think i suggested that we eat out or just hang out in general.

 

it was cold, karkat hated me for it. it was great. i think i fucking loved it. and i think my crush on karkat vantas was over nine thousand. old meme never gets old.

 

next is rose and roxy’s birthday. their birthday wasn’t that fancy either. kanaya was there with karkat. this time she was the one who tugged him along. everyone else was there. rosemary was so fucking cute. it was gay af.

 

we celebrated at roxy’s mansion. yes, roxy’s mansion. have you ever been there? she actually just inherited it from their mom. we have different moms, strider fam and lalonde fam. so we’re all technically half-siblings except for me and dirk and rose and roxy. anyway.

 

goddamn, i remember the mansion. you know, i think roxy’s will was that it’d be given to me, obviously because im the best brother ever. but i’m the youngest so obvs.

 

how about you and i take the car for a spin and go check out the mansion sometime? it ain’t that far from here. im pretty sure i can still drive. well, pretty sure. you can’t doubt the strider potential, kid.

 

no, obviously you can’t drive. you’re like fucking, twelve? oh, eleven? alright, alright. jesus.

 

so, the bday party. there wasn’t a lot of wizardry like you’d expect of the lalonde sisters. oh well, it was still a party, nothing special happened iirc.

 

i don’t know kid, that shit was like almost sixty years ago or even more. time wears down the mind. that’s what rose used to say in our later years.

 

but anyway, that party was when karkat and i explored the mansion. i’ve never actually fully found out the secrets of that place until that faithful day years ago- jesus fuck, years ago makes me sound like, really old. ancient, even.

 

fucking unbelievable, so anyways, we got lost in the mansion. that shit terrified me like seriously. who knows how old that building is? it’s big af.

 

that was also when karkat confessed actually. he legit thought we were gonna die in there but it turns out that we were in the laundry room. shit, could you believe that in a place as old as that, there’s a fucking laundry room? shit’s also unbelievable.

 

well, thinking about now. roxy just probably installed that there.

 

anyways, roxy found us almost crying and shit-faced. it was embarrassing to say the least but at least i knew that karkat liked me. so win-win? i mean like, because karkat confessed and roxy found us.

 

karkat went off the radar after that. i remember texting him a lot. i didn’t realize it at the time but i fucking liked him a lot. specifically in the gay and homo way.

 

i also told him that i liked him. just to get him back and see him again, y’know?

 

he came back around new year’s, we were awkward. i mean, who wouldn’t be? confessions are awkward, we were awkward.

 

things started to come around during valentine’s day.

 

i think that’s on the calendar. i can’t honestly remember what the fuck happened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anyways, uh, good morn/noon/eve to all you lovely readers!


	9. Tell Me A Bit More

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> trying to space out the updates! im writing at a snail's pace.

it’s not on the calendar? oh, i think that asshole erased it. i did write some incriminating stuff.

 

shh, i don’t know what incriminating means either. i’m not highly educated. i admit.

 

oh well, i really don’t fuckin’ remember. christ. but.. he asked me out. i have later realized that he’s the dominant one in our relationship. tbh, i didn’t ever want to be a dom anyway. we went on a date. i bought flowers, i wore a suit.

 

that date was probably the sappiest shit i’ve ever experienced. but i bet you i’m gonna say that again.

 

hm, i also remember that kanaya picked out my suit. i’m pretty sure that karkat’s attraction to me skyrocketed to a hundred percent. hey, i like to fantasize. oh git, don’t talk to me about how dirty that sounds. you’re the one who’s bringing it up.

 

okay, let’s not talk about my fantasies, you little shit. that’s some old man stuff and it’s just gross, okay? that’s a border i’m not crossing. not ever.

 

so, valentine’s day. the date.

 

after the date.

 

i don’t know.. we became a thing? i guess?.. sorry.

 

i fucking.. don’t remember.

 

i don’t.

 

what? karkat?

 

you.. want me to describe karkat?

 

describe karkat...? i don’t know, bud. can’t you just look at a picture?

 

karkat as i remember him?.. how.. i want to remember him?

 

y’know, kid. i always remember him maybe in his early forties?

 

he’d stopped using contact lens and instead joined the glasses club. his were gray, plastic, full-rim ones. but he eventually switched to semi-rim glasses later on because he looked like a fucking nerd. almost like john.

 

he had really dark brown hair, almost black. the color faded a bit as we grew older. personally, i liked the faded effect but he always insisted on dyeing it so he did, i wouldn’t stop him. he fuckin’ hates it when i stop him from doing shit.

 

his eyes were stormy gray, the shade you’d see when the sky gets fucking pissed and pisses on us. whenever karkat got mad, the intensity in his eyes goes up to thunderstorm level.

 

karkat always thought his eye color was weird but seriously mine are fucking blood-red. i love his eyes, y’know.

 

now, he -hah, he always wore long sleeves. sweaters and raglans were his shit. honestly, he looked so fucking nerdy. i fuckin’ love him.

 

aside from his fashion sense, i think you would’ve loved him and he would’ve loved you.

 

more things about him? damn, you’re eating this shit up, aren’t you?

 

what else.. well, he loved cats but we never adopted a cat.. and..

 

fuck, i’m getting to mayor’s part, this is a fucking trap.

 

yeah, i’m okay. i think i can get through this.

 

it was actually around our thirties when we adopted mayor. karkat and i got married at, well, i’m a year older than him so i got married at twenty-nine, so him at twenty-eight.

 

but karkat, uh.. died at sixty-seven.. fuck, sorry. it’s so unnatural to be putting ‘karkat’ and ‘died’ in the same fucking sentence.

 

crap. you know, kid.

 

karkat taught me a lot of words, -sorry, i’ll get to mayor later. i just had this train of thought- granted incriminating wasn’t one of them but i remember one specifically.

 

ya’aburnee.

 

it’s an arabic term that literally means ‘you bury me’. it’s a declaration of someone hoping that they die before their partner because they can’t bear to live without them. it’s something that i said on our wedding. i fucking meant it, i really did. but obviously, he.. um.. passed earlier.

 

he made me promise to tell our story. i don’t know what he meant by that or why he made me promise but i’m doing it right now, aren’t i? i can’t break a promise.

 

i don’t know, kid. it’s all been a big shitstorm that’s hit the fan. ever since.

 

yeah, i know. school.

 

you’re gonna switch? what about your translator? oh, damn. i would def be your translator but ‘m fuckin’ old. i also don’t like kids or teachers. i fucking hate teachers.

 

hey, you’re an exception. you’re the cutest little bastard i’ve ever seen.

 

man, anyways, i’m gon' sleep and my stomach’s aching. i’ll go rest. you can snoop around and whatever. let me know if you find some good shit when i wake up.


	10. Interude 3: An interesting development for DaveKat, indeed. // hell YE HA!! *YEAH :3

Today is the fourth of December, a rather important day for both you and your sister, Roxy Lalonde.

 

To be precise, you are Rose Lalonde and it is your twenty-fourth birthday. Today’s the only day you’ll ever be twenty-four and you should, in fact, cherish it.

 

You wake up like normal, with Jaspers by your side and your head full of expectations for the day. It should go exactly how you and Roxy planned it, unless some unforeseen antics take place but that wouldn’t be so great for today, would it?

 

You take your time in picking out clothes for the day. Ever since you and Kanaya had started dating, you always made notes on what to wear and what would impress her. You certainly will not be a let-down to your partner.

 

Next is to message Roxy. It’s a good thing that she’s finally come home even just for her birthday. You haven’t seen her face-to-face for quite some time.

 

\-- tentacleTherapist [TT] began pestering tipsyGnostalgic [TG] \--  


TT: Greetings to my favorite and only sister. Happy birthday and good morning, Roxy.  


TG: rose!!  


TG: omg ure right its my bday  


TG: WAIT and urs!!!!! :3  


TT: Yes, it is also my birthday, Roxy. Today, we’ve completed another trip around the sun.  


TG: ooo true thats 2 clever 4 me rosey  


TT: So, anyways. I was wondering about how the mansion’s holding up.  


TG: its holdin up gr8  


TG: w8 is that where were holdin the party?  


TT: Yes, we are. I thought I discussed this matter with you, Roxy. Have you forgotten so quickly?  


TG: NO shit w8!! ive a todo list somewhere around here  


TT: Alright, while you find that. I will handle the food, maybe a catering service would do just fine?  


TG: hell yea! also pls invite that hot guy we saw at dennys  


TT: Roxy, we’ve talked about this. No open flirting.  


TG: but roseyyyyyyyyyyyy its our bdays 2day  


TT: I am aware.  


TG: le  


TG: SIGN  


TG: fine only 4 u rosey bae  


TG: lets get this bitch party started!!  


TT: Later, Roxy. We’ll get it started later.  


TG: oh rite  


TG: dont u worry ur lil face rosey ill find my todo list  


TT: I’ve faith in you.  


TG: ;3 wink  


\-- tentacleTherapist [TT] ceased pestering tipsyGnostalgic [TG] \--

 

You put away your phone and peruse your room for a heartbeat. Strewn about your room are your knitting supplies, books and clothes. You really should do an immaculate cleaning, the mess is becoming cumbersome.

 

Mrrrow. A small, warm body presses up against yours. Jaspers.

 

“Oh, sweet, irreproachable Jaspers.” You scratch his chin, admiring his coal-black fur and bright orange eyes. He purrs, delighted at the attention.

 

“May we go downstairs?” You hold out your arms, he jumps in. Of course, he knows that you would provide him food. He’s knowledgeable like that. He purrs in your arms, comforted by your touch.

 

You live in a two-story apartment, your only companion being Jaspers. You haven’t decided on moving in with Kanaya but she told you that the offer was still up. Maybe you will move in with her. It does get quite a bit forlorn on some days.

 

Breakfast is like usual, an omelet for you and bland cat food for Jaspers. You’ve considered cooking food for him too but you find it a hassle. Besides, if he didn’t like it, he’d tell you, right?

 

You admit, it is a foolish assumption but cats do have an opinion of their own, you’d like to imagine.

 

After breakfast, you look up a few catering services. What food would you like for the party? It doesn’t have to be too extravagant and it certainly should not look like you’re parsimonious, this is you and your sister’s birthday party for heaven’s sake.

 

Making a decision was mandatory so you made one.

 

The next thing to check off your list is to visit the mansion and to see it for yourself. Admittedly, it has been quite a long time since you’ve been there. Years, even.

 

You’ve lived there during your early years, living with the most horrible mother you could ever think of. Once the opportunity to live with Roxy presented itself, you took it. You took that opportunity and never looked back.

 

But today, you are going back and facing it. You’ve never had a proper birthday party there and you’re going to fix that. Then maybe she’ll stop-

 

_Riiiiiiing!_

 

You jump in your seat, not expecting a phone call this early. The screen shows that it’s Dave. What could he want?

 

“Dave?”

 

“oh shit hey rose. look how many people are coming??”

 

“Why? Does it matter? Would you not attend the party if not enough people are there to satisfy your ‘cool-kid’ needs?”

 

“oh fuck you lalonde i got over that phase a long time ago. it was fucking stupid as hell.”

 

“Hmm, I see. An interesting development, David. And for your information, I am only inviting our close friends and a few friends from work.”

 

“... y’know i fuckin’ hate to ask this but.. is karkat gonna be there?”

 

You pause, your lips curling into a sly smile. But you’ve no time for this tip-toeing around from your brother who’s too emotionally confusing to get anywhere with anyone.

 

“Oh, I don’t know, Dave. Couldn’t you ask him? I don’t have time for your relationship problems, I’ve a party to plan.”

 

“hey. i was there for you when you were trying to get over your stupid-ass crush on whats-her-face. dont turn me down now rose”

 

“I was doing fine during that crush and did not require your assistance at all.”

 

“...”

 

“Fine, maybe he is going. Kanaya’s going to attend, of course. It’s a likely chance that she’ll bring him along. We both know that you and Karkat need-“

 

“blah blah blah thats all the info i needed. thanks sis bye.”

 

And your brother hangs up without another word. You’re sure he just came back from an emotional breakdown, it seemed obvious enough. Maybe you’ll interrogate him about that. Wait, forget that. You definitely need to talk to him about this.

 

You take another look at your phone, expecting someone else to call. Kanaya, specifically, but she hasn’t made any contact since last night. She’s planning something. You know it. However, deciding that staring at your phone is a useless endeavor; you grab your keys and make sure that Jaspers is all comfortable before heading out to visit the mansion.

 

It’s in the middle of a forest but it’s not that far away from the city. You still have no clue as to why your mother picked it as a suitable home. It didn’t feel like a suitable environment for you.

 

The excursion took about forty minutes, more time than you expected. You sigh against the wheel then look up to see the mansion looming over you. Its shadow gives a threatening feeling but you were never afraid of it though, you grew up here. You knew all the secrets this mansion held. There was absolutely nothing to be afraid of.

 

And she’s not here anymore. It’s foolish to be afraid of a memory.

 

You turn off the engine, grab your phone and keys, and exit the car. You look around to notice that Roxy’s hot pink vehicle isn’t around. Was your sister even in the building? Ridiculous.

 

Okay, maybe she just headed out to collect some supplies for the party. It’s a likely reason and one you shouldn’t be angry about. You just wanted this to be perfect. Nothing else. You take a deep breath to calm yourself. Roxy can handle herself and she knows what she’s doing. Most of the time anyway, but you shouldn’t be so perturbed about it.

 

The house sat on a waterfall. The view from the doorway is truly a sight to see, it’s one of the few things you appreciated when you were growing up. Whenever your mother wasn’t so busy terrorizing you and your sister, you often sat outside, savoring the fresh air, the roar of the falls. It’s something you’ve always incorporated in your stories.

 

Not the waterfall but the serene turbulence of it, quite oxymoronic if you do say so yourself.

 

You’ve gone off track, oh dear. Damnit.

 

You unlock the front door to the mansion with the spare keys Roxy gave you, all the lights are open. How kind of your sister to leave them open. You never appreciated the bleak darkness of the mansion, not that you were afraid of the dark but only because it seemed so empty and forsaken.

 

Time to survey this ancient place.

 

\---

 

“How are you enjoying the party, David?” You observe your brother; he’s wearing quite a suit today. You didn’t say a certain formality was to be achieved but it seems that he’s wearing it for a different reason.

 

He shrugs, “Nice punch, nice food. Nothing to it really.” Dave seems to be less interested in your conversation than he is perusing the room. Perhaps he’s looking for Karkat?

 

“About your phone call, earlier.” You clear your throat, smirking. “Should I take that as a sign that you’ve an attraction to my partner’s cousin?”

 

Dave’s attention snaps back to you, his head turning a bit too quickly at the topic of the phone call he’d made. He realizes his mistake and rubs the back of his neck. A habit of his that he developed during your childhoods. You find it quite adorable to see him so nervous about Karkat.

 

“So?” You pry.

 

“So what? He’s a friend, I just wanted to know if he was, um, coming, y’know?”

 

“Why be so concerned about his presence? I thought you were the cool Dave Strider who did not give a shit about anyone?” His features visibly tighten.

 

“Fuck off, Rose. Not the time.”

 

You tip your head to the side, “Oh, it’s my birthday. I’ve got all the time, David.” In the corner of your eye, you spot a familiar figure. “Excuse me.”

 

You walk towards Kanaya who’s wearing a simple yet gorgeous dress. Perfect for the occasion. She smiles at you; behind her is the one and only Karkat Vantas, also wearing a suit. How fitting. You chuckle inwardly.

 

“Hello, Rose.” Kanaya greets you before kissing you softly, you lean in, of course.

 

“I’m glad you’ve graced us with your presence, Miss Maryam.” You wink and she blushes slightly.

 

“Ugh, save the sappy romance for later, lovebirds. Do it anywhere, just not in front of me.” Karkat steps forward, his brows furrowed and his arms crossed.

 

You would love to get another emotion out of him rather than annoyance. “Of course, and would you prefer to save your sappy romance with Dave for later too?” You ask sweetly and Karkat immediately turns red.

 

“Fucking no? Excuse me, where the fuck does Dave Strider come into this? Ugh, forget it. I am going to finish all the food and no one is going to stop me. Good-fucking-bye!” Karkat stomps off without another word. You can only smirk again.

Kanaya grasps your arm, sighing, “Was that really necessary?”

 

“Oh, it’s tiresome to see them dance around each other like fools when they clearly have an attraction to each other.”

 

“I’m sure they’ll figure it out, meanwhile. Let’s enjoy, how does that sound?” Your girlfriend wraps an arm around your waist and steers you away.

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

Roxy Lalonde is your name and getting your little brother a date is your fucking game. Like seriously, that Karkat dude is so cute for him, you can’t? Even at your birthday, you think about this. What would Rose say?

 

You see your little brother staying near the walls of the living room; he’s talking with that cute angry guy that Rose told you about. Gosh, you ship them so bad. Dave honestly needs a guy in his life and you’re pretty sure that that guy is Karkat Vantas.

 

He talks about him a lot when you talk over Pesterchum and there’s definitely no denying that he likes him, lol.

 

“Hey, Davey!” You approach them after mingling with the crowd. You’re still a bit upset with the fact that Rose didn’t invite that cute waiter from Denny’s. Maybe you should have invited him.

 

Your little brother visibly freezes up before turning his head around to look at you. Karkat looks at you too suspiciously.

 

“How are you two enjoying? Got a few bites already?” You ask innocently, Dave sighs.

 

“My fucking god, are you two really going to hound me about this crap? Hey Rox.” Dave couldn’t get mad at you even if he tried. You spoil his ass a lot so he’s losing a lot of that spoilage if he did get mad. You don’t mind him being pissed though; it’s nice for your normally expressionless brother to have a tantrum for a few hours. You find it totally adorable.

 

“Karkat, Roxy. My big sis. One of two birthday celebrants today.” He turns to his future-boyfriend, ahem- you mean friend.

 

Karkat waves nonchalantly, putting on a poker face. You smile at him, winking. He looks away, disturbed. Hey, it’s your birthday, you can be as flirty as you want!

 

Dave catches you red-handed and clears his throat. “Uh, yeah. I’ll just take Karkat around the mansion. There’s a shit ton of stuff to see, right?”

 

You nod vigorously, “There is a shit ton. This place is old as heck, be free to explore. Try not to make a mess, kk?”

 

The two leave, disappearing into one of the rooms. You look around for another person to pester and you see one of your old college friends.

 

\---

 

“Hey, Roxy. Have you seen Karkat? Kanaya informed me that he had to leave for another event.” Rose appears, pulling you away from the crowd. You raise an eyebrow before cracking a grin.

 

“Dave took him on a tour of the mansion, didn’t see them for a while. Nope.” Rose stares at you with her intense violet gaze. Geez, that serious?

 

“I appreciate your efforts to get them together but Karkat being M.I.A. seemed to distress Kanaya. Have you any idea on where they could be?”

 

“Fiiiiine! I’ll find ‘em, don’t you worry your pretty little face, Rosey.” You pinch your little sister’s cheek before setting out on a mission.

 

You look around the big old building before going to your laundry room which wasn’t exactly in a sunny spot of the mansion.

 

“Hello?” You say, hearing something moving further in the room. You feel for the light switch on the wall and you flip it on. Low and behold, you see Dave and Karkat on the floor holding each other. Dave was without his shades.

 

“Geez, what happened to you two? Was it that wild?”

 

“Fucking shit! We almost fucking died in here!” Karkat punches Dave in the shoulder, mad as all hell. His face was red as a tomato, oh my god. Did they make out or something? Karkat stands up and marches out of the room without another word.

 

You look back at Dave who’s reaching for his shades on the ground. You raise an eyebrow, “Did you two make out or something?”

 

“Fuckin’ hell, Roxy. I told you, we’re not together and probably never will be.” Dave groans, sitting with his knees up and together. His head hanging and hidden.

 

You sit down beside him.

 

“That is so bullshit, Dave. I ship both of you so hard and both of you are so awkward and gentle around each other. Now, I’ll be a good older sister and listen to all your problems. I may not be as good as Rose but I think I can do.” You pat his back, flat out saying what you want to say.

 

He stays silent before muttering:

 

“I am twelve feet deep in this shit.”


	11. Woof

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey so we're actually in the homestretch of this. ive finished writing and am just in the process of posting every two days.

oh hey buddy what’d you got there? fuckin’ hell is that a chew toy?? i still have that lying around? in fairness, i never really got the balls to trash it because there was too much sentimental value.

 

and that’s how you hoard things, kids.

 

‘m just jokin’. i don’t mind you wakin’ me up. i’d wake up for mayor.

 

so.. mayor huh?

 

theres a lot i remember but not much i can say. this kind of bond, it’s hard to describe. you’ll know sooner or later, kid.

 

i didn’t actually ask karkat for permission to adopt mayor which was a stupid fucking move on my part because karkat almost killed me when i brought the pup home. i just couldn’t resist, y’know? no one adopted him at the store because he had this bent tail, fuckin’ seriously. you really wouldn’t adopt a dog because it had a bent tail?

 

that shit just really made me angry and i thought to myself that i could take care of this lil’ guy better than any other person. then i’d show them what a good dog mayor turned out to be. he turned out great. fantastic. amazing. fucking unforgettable.

 

he was a corgi-shepherd mix. pretty cute guy. you saw a picture of him? i know right? he always had fluffy neck fur. almost like a mane. adorable as hell.

 

when i brought him home. karkat was deathly afraid of him for a few days then he started warming up to the pup then in no time, karkat strider-vantas was a mother of one. like seriously, i have to say. even if he is the dominant one, i’ll always be the dad side of things. i’m cool like that.

 

months passed, mayor grew with us. he lived probably the best time of his life we had him with us like everywhere. people would shit their pants at the mere sight of our lord and savior, mayor.

 

hell, he even reached geromy. we’ll talk about your dad another time, alright?

 

then he started having this uh.. canine distemper thing. it’s a contagious viral shitty illness. i remember.. he started having high fevers, getting tired a lot and even stopped eating.

 

fuck we were so worried y’know? we thought that he’d live for a long long time. we did the math, everything should’ve been okay..

 

he lost that spark in his eyes, the wag in his cute bent tail, the jump in his little tiny legs and paws.. we spent a fortune on trying to save him. karkat even did all his vaccines before but it just wouldn’t stop..

 

it was maybe five years before i buried him in the backyard of the mansion along with rose’s cat, jaspers...

 

‘m sorry..  fuck.

 

he just..

 

he just died so early?

 

 fucking.. karkat and i research what the normal life span of a corgi is and you know how long they could live? fucking.. fourteen to fifteen years.

 

our little pup still had ten years ahead of him.

 

a blatant example of how shitty life can be.

 

geromy could tell you about him more, y’know. he was maybe twelve around that time. i don’t know if he still remembers but he loved mayor and mayor loved him back.

 

in those five years that he had, he successfully broke through the dog-phobia karkat had and managed to sneak his way into our hearts. i can’t ever fucking forget how happy we were. those memories last with you for a goddamn lifetime, kid. it hurts like shit but it makes you happy to think back.

 

and if you get a dog, kid. love ‘em with all your heart. ‘cause you never know when they could leave and you never know how big a hole they’ll leave in your heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks to whoever's still reading!


	12. Final Days

hey we’re in the homestretch, kiddo. we’re talkin’ about your dad.

 

well, we thought about adoption a few years after our marriage. then we did it. and here comes that boi, oh shit. geromy. geromy was about ten when we adopted him. he was the shyest kid in the center and karkat immediately related to him. or vice versa actually. i don’t know. i was really the cool, laid-back dad figure. karkat was more of a mother hen and i loved him for it, bless him but holy shit did he stress over things.

 

geromy had to be homeschooled to catch up and he joined high school at twelve. around the time mayor died. kid was heartbroken but we told him to go on, to focus on school a bit more. that kid’s fucking smart, he reminded me of karkat during college.

 

then at the house- to clarify we got a new house near rose’s as a marriage gift from her and we lived there until geromy was an adult. anyways, whenever he finished his homework, we would almost always watch a movie. that family bonding time, y’know?

 

of course, that was when i wasn’t so busy with work. i worked as a graphic artist. some people took notice of the holy work of mine that is sbahj and immediately contacted me. it had a big pay so i took it. those were the days when i stayed late up all night on the computer, drawing with my tablet and karkat would just get up and tell me to go to sleep and he goes back to sleep again. those days were fucking torture but it paid off. we could afford geromy’s tuition fine and all the things were set from there.

 

we watched as geromy grew up, we cared for him. been his shoulder to lean on. karkat and i always competed for who was the better dad, i was, of course the better dad.

 

then geromy moved out, found a girl to settle down with, got a good job. we sold the house and went back here, surprised to see it still standing all this time. it was a fucking miracle.

 

geromy had his first kid. karkat and i were grandparents, i was... really happy. i never thought i’d live to see my first fuckin’ grandchild. but i guess you see now that i've lived to see my third damn grandchild.

 

then suddenly out of the blue, this old guy comes barging into our lives. claiming he was geromy’s real father. i defended _my_ son though. karkat and i raised him, fuck me if i was gonna let some bastard take him away. the adoption papers were proof enough that he was ours.

 

soon enough, he fucked off.

 

at sixty-three  and sixty-four respectively, karkat and i celebrated our thirty-fifth wedding anniversary. we promised to each other that we celebrated every five years, just to feel how long we’ve been married. that shits hard, y’know.

 

we would’ve celebrated our fortieth in five years. but as you can see, that didn’t happen. he.. died at sixty-seven. some shitty fucking fever. his system couldn’t take it. honestly i thought that it would blow over. karkat was always healthy as hell! i also didn’t bring him to hospital. like jesus, we’ve had fevers before. we don’t need to go to the hospital.

 

i doubt they could’ve treated it well enough though. it was.. intense to say the least. we buried him a few days after, geromy was depressed, i was depressed..

 

i fuckin’ loved him.. y’know? everyone who was a part of our group loved him. i still love him and god i know how sappy and depressing that sounds. believe me.

 

and.. that’s where his story ends. but not mine. but.. of course i wasn’t the same dave strider. honestly, i think that.. i died with him. i meant what i said to him on our wedding. i’d fight anyone who’d dare to say that i didn’t...

 

..ya’aburnee.

 

it’s so fucking ironic.. hah, and i fucking hate it. i hated everything. then suddenly for no reason, one by one, everyone i knew kicked the bucket. first it was roxy, that’s when the mansion was given to me. i didn’t know how to deal with it, especially when it almost fucking followed karkat's.

 

next was dirk and jake. died in a car crash. then jade, and then john. it felt like it didn’t stop. i felt completely numb.

 

the worst was rose's. hah, not as fucking worse as karkat's though. but she was the only one i had left. the only person i could hold onto to remember the past. i stayed beside her in the hospital when she got into _that_ accident. _i_ was the one who watched her breathe her last breath.

 

the blood that was in my mouth when i bit my lip hard was bittersweet. as bittersweet as the sound of the damn flat line. yeah, i know i like fuckin’ hated her but i damn well loved her like a sister. and that’s it. now here i am. alone. telling this stupid story that i promised to tell. telling you all i know.

 

you’ve been silent for a long while. what’s up?

 

aw, man.. don’t.. don’t cry please, lil’ guy..

 

c’mere. let your old man give you an old man hug. shhh... god forbid you cry for my sake, kid. don’t be like that.

 

the reason i’m telling you this is honestly not because of that crappy promise. but because i want you to know. i want you to learn how to appreciate life. not like i did, well i don't think i didn't enjoy life that much, tbh. i just fucked around.

 

just because you’re mute or fucked up in some other way doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy things others enjoy. that’s more fucked up than anything else. yeah, yeah i know i’m like preaching here already but i have to alright? that’s what old people do anyway. i think i’m doing my job right. hah.

 

anyways.. hey, it’s fine. you want me to get you some tissues? no? fine.

 

alright, we’ll change the topic if you want to.

 

what about december? hey, i am not giving you an early christmas present. fuck that, you be patient.

 

oh, my birthday?

 

yeah. goin’ on seventy-nine. still strong. i think ya’ll should just save the big birthday party for me on my eightieth. who even likes odd numbers? they suck.

 

i’ll be fine. don’t you worry your face, you gotta study up, y’know. i can last a week or so alone. it’s all i’ve ever been doing anyway.

 

fine, you can bring a cake. not too fancy though or i’ll kick your ass.

 

 right. that’s a promise, alright? good. here, pinky swear, ya lil’ shit.”


	13. At The End Of The Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi. sorry.

december 3 2074

its a week after i last visited grandpa. it was supposed to his birthday today. but it didnt really turn out like that. i begged dad to stay at the apartment today but he said that grandpa didnt find odd numbers worth celebrating. i like odd numbers..

i didnt get him anything. i just wanted to listen to more of his stories. but when he wasnt answering the door i got worried. he always answered the door? dad got tired of waiting and decided to use a spare key he had to the house then he left.

honestly i wouldve thought that dad would think that was suspicious but i didnt say anything. i went to the bedroom and grandpa was there sleeping. i went closer to wake him up and he shouldve woken up but he didnt.

i noticed that he wasnt breathing either so i called dad. he went back and thats when we realized that he was.. ~~dead~~ gone..

dad called 911 and the police came around fast. but before they came i just a paper and an envelope attached to each other on the bedside table. i took it. i know it was ‘tampering’ with evidence or whatever but i wanted to see it privately.

i went to the living room and sat on the lazboy grandpa loved to sit in. i read it. i stapled it here in my diary when all the police stuff was done. in the envelope was grandpas will. i dont know what it exactly says yet but dad will tell me.

i just cant believe that grandpas gone... i thought that hed live a real longer time.. but i guess im happy for him since he can be with all his other old friends and karkat up in heaven.. im happy for him..

dave strider-vantas died at 79 years because of a heart attack.

thanks for the memories grandpa.

i love you

~~~~~

just to clarify, i’m writing this like on december 1. i don’t know why, i just have this gut feeling that my time’s gonna be over. you know me always aware of the time. i don’t know it’s just this instinct i had ever since i was a kid. anyways before i start rambling the shit out of myself.

first, if you get this. it either means that i’ve died or you’re being a sneaky shit. i know you’ll find this first, kid.

i know it’s pretty morbid to write a death letter but give me a goddamn break. i don’t want to be caught surprised and ya’ll have to deal with my death in some other fucked up way that i don’t like.

i bought a companion plot for karkat and me like a long ass time ago so you don’t have to worry about a grave plot. i sorted that out. i want to wear my red and white tux and ben stiller’s shades for the burial. don’t forget the calendar, my wedding ring, karkat’s old ass diary ( i think that’s in my bedside ) and a couple of my prized polaroids. well, honestly it’s up to you if you want to bury me with my polaroids, you can keep them if you want.

make sure i look dignified and badass. also tell geromy that i don’t want a wake, if there needs to be a wake then whatever. i don’t really care about the wake, i’m not gonna be there, none of my old besties are gonna be there and karkat isn’t even gonna be there.

finally. my will. it’s in the envelope stapled to this letter. i made sure it was legal, i remember all the stuff my lawyer friend terezi told me. it’s got my signature and everything and shit. i’m not gonna tell you what my will is, that’s up to geromy. but he’ll probably tell you though.

and to address the nonexistent elephant in the nonexistent room.

my dearest, youngest grandson. ew okay never mind that sounds so formal and gross.

but seriously. i think i pretty much finished my story. there still might be a few questions you wanted to ask like: what were your siblings like? what was the sweetest thing you did for karkat? when was your first kiss?

honestly i’m so tired and shaking right now and plus i can’t really remember the answer to any of those anymore. i’m kinda sorry that i got all depressed on you last time. i don’t know, you’re probably the only living person that’s closest to my heart. shh, you’re a cute bastard.

it’s.. okay. you can cry when you read this. you can cry at my funeral. you can cry at the wake ( if there is any ). you can cry anytime. i just want you to know that the last thing i was probably thinking about was you.

you and.. everything i’ve told you.

i kept my promise to karkat. you’re actually the only one who i told our story to. so our story is our little secret, kk? you can tell it to people, i guess. that’d be cool if you considered my love story to be sad and interesting enough to be shared. maybe you can make a fictional story out of it. i know how you like to write.

jesus christ. the more i think about it the more you start to sound like a young rose lalonde. please don’t be like a young rose lalonde.

anyways. i think i’m gonna sleep now.

if you find this and i’m dead.. just know that i love you, okay?

i’ll be fine. i’ve always been fine.

dave strider. out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> that was a bit of a doozy wasnt it? anyways. epilogue's last! i dont think im really satisfied with the epilogue but i felt like i had to to do it


	14. Take Me Back

“Karkaaaaat.” Dave yawns. He’s never awake this early, what the fuck.

 

“The fuck do you want, Strider? It’s so damn early.” You swat his stupid handsome face away. He pouts, looking at you with his blood red eyes. God, you can never get used to that.

 

“Well.. I don’t know, dude. Maybe I want a couple of waffles and apple juice.”

 

“Fuck you, I’m not your slave.” Dave gives you a half-grin at that.

 

“No, but you’re my husband and technically you are the mom of the fam. So-” You smother his face with a pillow, cutting him off before some other shit comes out of his mouth.

 

You sit up, scowling. “Mothers don’t always cook, assface.” Dave throws the pillow at you.

 

“Mmm. Yeah, well. _Technically_ you aren’t the mother of this family either.”

 

“Shut up, oh my god. Can’t we stay in bed for even a few more minutes?”

 

“Well, maybe that could be arranged.” Dave leans over to you, kissing you on the lips. _Well, fuck._  You kiss him back and you can feel his lips curl up into a smile. He’s been smiling a lot lately, what a damn dork.

 

You push him down on the bed. “You know, I’m still craving for those waffles.” He whispers before you can go in for another kiss.

 

“Fuck you for being a mood killer then.” You grumble getting of off him. He gets your glasses for you since they’re on his side of the bed. You don’t know why but it’s always been like that. He’s the one who takes them off every damn night.

 

You never really imagined a future where in you’d be married to Dave Strider. The asshole you had a bit of a crush on during college although he never really gave a fuck about you. Since the party though.. Well things changed. It wasn’t the accidental drunk sex but maybe it was something else.

 

Something you couldn’t really describe if you wanted to.

 

You tear away from your thoughts when Dave hip bumps you, almost making you fall over. Fucking asshole. You try to punch his shoulder but he avoids you and runs downstairs, laughing.

 

You spend a few moments debating on whether to go after him but you decide to go to Geromy’s room. It’s a weekend so he probably stayed up all damn night, why do kids sleep so late? Goddamn. When you take a look inside the room, you see him sleeping on the bed with Mayor by his side. Fuck, it’s such cute sight.

 

Mayor raises his head for a moment and sees you, he stares at you with big dark brown eyes and his little bent tail starts wagging. You decide not to wake up Geromy and just leave him be for the meantime. You leave the door open just in case Mayor wanted to go outside.

 

Downstairs.. You can never get tired of seeing it. Rose is a kind woman and a damn good writer to get you this house for a marriage gift. It was kind of amazing to see it for the first time. Now that it’s full of furniture and décor it looks more home-y and cozy. The perfect house that you’ve always wanted.

 

Dave’s at the sofa, watching TV like the douchebag he is. You don’t mind it for the most part though, you’d prefer that he’d stay an unhelpful man in this household. He causes enough fucking trouble.

 

“I bought some syrup while I was out yesterday! I hope you fucking appreciate me!” He yells once you reach the kitchen. You roll your eyes and just gather the ingredients for the waffles so you can start making breakfast.

 

After a while, the only thing you hear is the noise of the TV and the quiet crackling of the fire. You start to hum some random tune you have stuck in your head. You don’t recall what it is but you’re sure it’s from one of the songs that Dave plays during his stupid ‘music hours’ as he calls them.

 

Then you hear the staircase creaking, you glance to see Geromy with Mayor behind him.

 

“Hey, good mornin’, buddy. Ya sleep well?” Dave turns his head as Geromy goes to sit beside him on the sofa. Of fucking course. At least Mayor scampers to you even if he only smelled the waffles and didn’t really care to accompany you.

 

After you finish baking a couple of waffles, you put them on a plate and put it out on the table. “Hey, Dave. Won’t you be a damn sweetheart and get the table ready?” You ask with mock sweetness. Your husband- _husband_ gets up from the couch, ruffling the hair of your adopted son. Geromy doesn’t say a word, he barely does during mornings. You still wonder why.

 

Soon enough, all of you are sitting at the table, eating the still-warm waffles. You drink your coffee while giving some of your waffles to Mayor, Geromy also gives a waffle to the Corgi, while Dave continues to be a selfish bastard.

 

“So, how was your sleep? Any dreams or anything?” You ask Geromy, he shakes his head.

 

“Nothing.” That’s a shame. You always made it a habit to write down any dream you have, you’ve been thinking to write down some of Geromy’s. Dave gives you a weird look and you shoot him a glare but you doubt you even look threatening with your glasses on.

 

“Say, didn’t John have some kind of hangout planned for us?” Dave speaks up. Oh shit, you remember that. Geromy perks up at the mention of John. Hell, everyone loves John Egbert.

 

You grunt, “Mm, yeah. This afternoon I think, meet-up’s at the park. Something like that.” You’re all for hanging out with old friends but it’s a damn weekend. You’re tired.

 

“We’re going right?” Geromy asks, looking at you while munching on a waffle. You knit your eyebrows, honestly you just wanted to spend the whole day in bed. With Dave. And watching movies. But Dave looks at you too. Fuck, how could you resist such silent pleas?

 

“I don’t see why not.” You shrug and your son high-fives Dave. “I swear if you two run off to the playground again, I’ll have both your asses.”

 

“Like you don’t have my ass already, babe.” Dave whispers to you, winking. You barely stop yourself from flipping him the bird. Normally you’d do it without hesitation but Geromy’s watching so you don’t. You’re a good parent like that.

 

Breakfast eventually ends, all of you wash your own plate and utensils. It’s turns out really fucking messy since Dave decides that splashing you with water is the best and logical thing to do, of course you retaliate and Geromy just laughs, throwing a sponge at Dave. Thankfully it ends after you call a truce.

 

After changing into dry clothes, Dave puts on a new movie he pirated from the internet (You still don’t approve of his blatant breaking of the law. You think Terezi would be thoroughly disappointed). The three of you sit on the sofa while Mayor laid on Geromy’s lap. It’s a scene you’ve gotten used to but it still makes your heart swell to see your little cozy family.

 

It’s a scene you could never forget.  

 

**END.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whew, finally finished! sorry this one took some time. i actually rewrote it. originally it was gonna be karkat's death but i decided to not rehash that bc cmon, dave narrated it already and spilled all his feelings over it. and- originally i wanted this to be long af but i decided not to as well. i just wanted to write a snapshot in their lives that i felt was one of the best days theyve ever had.
> 
> anyways. i hope yall enjoyed (???) reading this short epilogue!


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